


Expanding the Playbook

by subjunctive



Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-10-12
Updated: 2014-10-12
Packaged: 2018-02-19 17:41:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,270
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2397071
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/subjunctive/pseuds/subjunctive
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When Maria chose Peggy Carter as her first major work assignment, fresh out of SHIELD Academy, no one quite knew what to think.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Expanding the Playbook

**Author's Note:**

  * For [tielan](https://archiveofourown.org/users/tielan/gifts).



Working for Agent Peggy Carter was about as boring as Maria had suspected. Which was to say, half the time it was even _more_ boring (she'd long perfected her camera-ready smile and the perfectly photogenic handshake). On those days she envied her classmates fiercely for the operations and activity they bragged about at the unofficial S.H.I.E.L.D. bar. But the other half was, actually, much more exciting. That was how averages worked. 

Possibly that was more due to Carter than her. That was the most surprising part. 

When Maria chose Peggy Carter as her first major work assignment, fresh out of SHIELD Academy, no one quite knew what to think.

Or maybe that wasn't an accurate assessment, Maria thought. Plenty of people had no trouble speculating and telling others know what they thought, and letting Maria overhear: There was well-meaning despair, from those who thought Maria was letting her talent go to waste. Her recruiting officer, Nick, practically begged her to reconsider, reminding her of her potential career trajectory. There was relief from some of the other recruits, that they wouldn't be competing with her for their superiors' regard. And some sneering from those who thought women still couldn't hack it at the world's most sophisticated, and strange, intelligence agency.

Some figured it was nostalgia at work, or perhaps ignorant naivete about who was really important at S.H.I.E.L.D., although according to them, that was surprising coming from a girl like Maria. (Maria smirked.) Others thought it was some kind of riot grrl solidarity statement, a defiant feminist idealism in the face of the _cold, hard truth_ : that Agent Carter was a very old, very useless relic of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s beginnings, who only still had her job because of her illustrious past.

Maria knew better. She ignored the whispers.

The first time she walked into Agent Carter's office (it was quite a walk, tucked away in an unassuming corner), her new superior officer lowered her reading glasses, leaned back in her chair, and looked straight into Maria's waiting face. Her white hair was gathered up in a bun at the nape of her neck, quite severely.

"You know," came the quiet English voice, authoritative despite its softness, "it's been a few years since someone seriously chose to do their apprenticeship under me. Much less as a first choice."

 _Apprenticeship._ It wasn't the usual S.H.I.E.L.D. terminology (that was something bureaucratic and clunky, with no cute acronym to save it), but Maria liked it.

"Particularly," Agent Carter added, "a young recruit as promising as yourself." Her fingernails tapped on the edge of a crisp manila folder; her own file, Maria realized.

"Yes." Maria could give as good as she got when it came to hard stares.

"What is it you think you are doing?"

At first, Maria heard an accusation. It took her a moment to realize that it was a genuine question borne of curiosity.

Maria glanced around at Agent Carter's office, papered in mementos and photographs from the past several decades. She saw handshakes with former presidents, a black-and-white photo of Captain America, gifts from foreign dignitaries, and letters from politicians, among other artifacts. But not the kinds of artifacts that belonged in museums, not quite yet.

"I'm playing a long game, sir," she said finally, her gaze returning.

Carter's curiosity didn't fade, but she didn't look satisfied with that answer, either. A little crease appeared between her eyes. "You know what it is that I do." 

"Shaking hands, as I understand it." 

Carter's eyes narrowed. "That is correct. Perhaps it is my old age, but I fail to understand exactly what it is that such a storied and decorated new cadet - I do believe you came in first in six out of your ten classes - such as yourself expects to do working for my office. Do you anticipate shaking many hands, Agent Hill?" 

Maria hadn't expected the suspicion, but it raised her estimation of Carter a notch or two. "I'm sure I will. But Blankenship and Tremblay have me on their call list for when they need an extra pair of boots for their operations. I won't get rusty." 

That seemed to satisfy Carter at least a little, now that she knew Maria wasn't a complete moron. "What will you get, then?" 

She had an inkling that her new supervisor would appreciate straightforwardness, so Maria looked Carter steadily in the eye as she said, "Hopefully, sir, connections." 

Carter's frown eased as she leaned back in her chair and folded her hands in her lap. Maria fancied she saw a spark in the old woman's eyes. 

"Well, then." Carter spread her hands ironically. "Welcome to the team." 

"It's you and me, Agent Hill," came the by-now-familiar British voice in Maria's ear. A crackle of static whispered in the background. Hill couldn't decide if she sounded more amused or excited. Not what she'd expected, reaction-wise, from a hostage situation at a major diplomatic event. 

Hill couldn't see her, but she knew Carter was on the other side of the room. She couldn't be too close to the mutant holding the gun, or he'd have heard her and reacted. Hill herself was much too close to communicate back without being overheard, and she didn't like the mutant's ability to turn his skin into metal scales of some kind. Or how he was able to melt and reform it. She nodded instead, in case Carter was watching. 

"They've neutralized all of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s security detail," continued Carter, as calm as ever; but Maria thought she heard a hint of smug. "You and I did not warrant the same attention, it appears." 

Hill scanned the room while making it look like she wasn't. Her look only confirmed Carter's words. 

Quieter now, sotto voce: "I'm circling around. Get ready - I have a shot -" 

Her chin snapped up, a gesture so sudden that the mutant took immediate notice. Now all his attention focused on her, his scales flaring up along his arms like hairs on the back of a neck. Hill cursed herself and Carter. Mostly herself, if she was being honest. 

Electricity crackled through the air; the mutant's body jerked spastically, in the throes of what was obviously a taser. Without hesitation Maria reached for her guns - one in her boot, one in her bag - and took out the two henchmen, who were most definitely _not_ bulletproof, in their moment of surprise. 

"Excellent distraction, Agent Hill," Carter said very dryly, and now she was close enough that Hill could hear her without the earpiece. 

Hill glared up at her and did not take the offered hand, preferring to dust herself off and assess the situation. "There was a backup team on the way," she pointed out as they confiscated the weapons. "We should have waited for them." Both the henchmen would live for questioning, although they were in no shape to continue picking a fight; her aim had been damn near perfect. 

"They were taking too long," said Carter dismissively. "Besides, I had a hunch that electricity would work on our metallic friend here." 

And there was a real possibility that no one would have listened to her, Hill heard underneath that. 

"I know you like following procedure," said Carter more generously as they waited. "But I wrote the rulebook, and so I know when is an appropriate time to break said rules." 

"And you're never going to let me forget it," muttered Hill, and the two women smiled at each other.


End file.
